Lifter for stove-lids.



E. TOWER. LIFTER FOR STOVE LIDS. 7 APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1911;

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN COJWASHINOTON. n. c.

EDWARD TOWER, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFTER FOB STOVE-LIBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Serial No. 644,441.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD TOWER, a citi-' the lid and lifter, the weight of the lid bearing down on the end of the toe. If the lifter be turned downward at any considerable angle from the horizontal, it will slip from the end thereof, since there is not suflioient friction between the lifter and lid to retain it. Moreover, with the ordinary type of lifter it is impossible to turn the lid over so that dirt and the like may be shaken from the top of the lid.

The object of the present invention is to produce a lifter for stove lids by means of which a stove lid may be grasped so that it may be turned upside down to scrape or dump dirt therefrom, because of the secure grip of the lifter on the lid.

Another object of the present invention is to produce a lid lifter which may be used either to grip the lid or which may be used as the ordinary lid lifter, and to so shape the toe which enters the lifter receiving recess in the lid that the lid cannot readily slip therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lid lifter comprising tong gripping members, having a handle which acts both'as a heat dissipating handle and as a spring for holding the jaws open.

With the above objects in view, the present invention consists in the lifter for stove lids hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the lifter, Fig. 2 is a top view illustrating the manner in which the spring handle is secured to the tong members, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a part of a stove lid showing the manner in which the lid lifter enters the lifter receiving recess in the lid.

Referring to the drawings, the lid lifter comprises two tong members 1 and 2 pivotally connected by a pin 8. The lower or shorter ends of the tong members are formed into gripping jaws 4 and 5 respectively, the jaw 4 being in the form of a toe adapted to enter the under-cut end 20 of the lifter receiving recess 21 of the stove lid 22 and the toe 5 being adapted to bear against the top of the lid so that the web 23 lying over the under-cut end of the lifter receiving recess is grasped between these jaws. The upper or longer ends of the tong members are reduced in size and formed with spring receiving spindles 6 and 7 A helical spring 8 is bent into a substantially U-shaped form and its free ends fitted over the spring receiving spindles 6 and 7 of the tong members, the spindles 6 and 7 being provided with enlargements 9 and 10 over which the last turn of the spring is slipped to hold the ends of the spring in place. The bent spring tends to straightenitself, so that the action of the spring is tospread the handles and open the gripping jaws. To limit the opening of the jaws under the action of the spring, cooperating stop shoulders 11 and 12 are formed on the pivoted tong members at their pivotal connection.

When the jaws are open under the action of the spring as illustrated in Fig. 1, the spring receiving spindles 6 and 7 are separated only by an inch or two, so that the hand will easily reach around and grasp both legs of the spring. The pressure of the hand closes the gripping jaws 4 and 5 on the webb 23 of the stove lid recess as shown in Fig. 3, so that the lid may be lifted and turned upside down if it is desired to shake off dirt and the like. The bent helical spring 8, aside from acting as a separating spring for the jaws, also acts as a heat dissipating handle for the lifter, the bent portion of the spring fitting to the palm of the hand, while the fingers and thumb squeeze together the ends of the tong members. This combined function of the spring as a separating spring and handle affords a compact structure with no parts which are likely to work loose and which is both pleasing in appearance and cheap to manufacture. The lifter may be used as an ordinary lid lifter by grasping the upper leg of the spring around the spindle 6, in which case the jaws will be kept separate, since the spring is not compressed by the hand. The lifter may thus be used either as a lifter which grips the stove lid, or as a lifter which merely enters the lifter receiving recess to lift the lid the usual jaw 4 presses down on the top of the jaw,

manner. The jaw 4 which enters the lifter receiving recess in the lid has its under side formed with backwardly facing shoulders 13. When the jaw 4 is insertedin the lifter receiving recess 21, the web 23 which forms the edge of the recess over the end of the while the opposite edge 24 of the recess will press up against the bottom of the jaw l. One of the shoulders 13 will thus be engaged by the edge 24 of the recess and keep the lid from slipping from the lifter, even though the lifter maybe turned down at a considerable angle from the horizontal. While the shoulders 13 are thus useful when only the upper part of the spring is grasped and the lifter used as anordinary lid lifter, the shoulders 13 possess an importantfunction in cooperating with the gripping jaws when both sides of the spring are grasped and both jaws 4 and 5 are employed. As shown in Fig. 3, the shoulders 13 will catch on the edge 24: of the lid recess and resist the tendency of the lid to slip from between the gripping jaws t and 5.

'VVhile a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and 7 described, it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other forms within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims 1. In a lifter for stove lids, the combination of two crossed pivotally connected tong members having their upper ends formed with spring receiving spindles which are substantially parallel when the jaws are closed and having their lower ends provided with cooperating gripping jaws, one of said jaws being adapted to enter the recess of a stove lid and the other of said jaws being adapted to grip against the top of the stove lid, and a helical spring bent into a substantially U-shaped form and having its free ends fitted over and held on the spindle-like ends of the tong members so as to act both as a heat dissipating handle for the lifter and as a spring for normally holding the gripping jaws open, substantially as described.

2. In a lifter for stove lids, the combination of two crossed pivotally connected tong members, having their upper ends extending substantially parallel whenthe jaws are closed, and having their lower ends provided with cooperating gripping jaws, and a helical spring bent into a substantially U-shaped form and having its free ends secured to the upper ends of the tong members so as to act both as a heat dissipating handle for the lifter and as a spring for normally holding the gripping jaws open, substantially as described;

3. In a lifter for stove lids, the combination of two crossed pivotally connected tong members, having their upper ends extending substantially parallel when the jawsare closed, and having their lower ends provided with cooperating gripping jaws, and a helicalspring bent into a substantially U-shaped form, having its free ends secured to the upper ends of the tong members so as to act both asa heat dissipating handle for the lifter and as a spring for normally holding the gripping jaws open, and stop shoul- V ders formed on thetong'members to limit ing the gripping jaws open, the gripping jaw which is adapted to enter the lifter receiving recess of the stove lid being formed on its under side with backwardly facing shoulders .to engage the edge of the recess and prevent the lid from slipping from be-.

gripping jaws, substantially as tween the described.

EDWARD TOWER.

Witnessesi GEORGE H. \Voon,

JULIUS E. \VHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. c 

